


bare

by Noa



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Affection, Developing Relationship, King Garon Cameo, M/M, Pre-Canon, Requested fic, Scars, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 11:08:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6608398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noa/pseuds/Noa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“When you <em>decide</em> to show me,” Leo continued quietly. “That is when I wish to see.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	bare

“Father, this really isn’t necessary-”

The menacing glare of King Garon locked onto Leo, and it stilled his tongue. Niles’s hand touched Leo’s shoulder, and squeezed gently. Reassuringly. Leo looked up at him, expression blank, the worry under his skin paralyzing his muscles.

“Please don’t fret, my lord.” Niles said quietly. One more squeeze, and then he took a step towards the throne, lowering himself down onto one knee in a show of respect and submission.

Leo looked on as his father got up, heart hammering behind his ribs. King Garon towered over Niles, his shadow dark and intimidating, but Niles showed no sign of fear. The King pressed his lips together into a thin line. He reached out, and ripped off Niles’s eye-patch with a force that moved Niles’s entire body- Leo flinched.

 _“No secrets,”_ His father said when Leo asked to have Niles appointed as his retainer. _“If he is to serve my son, I must judge him from thread to bone. No scar unseen. No secret kept.”_

Leo couldn’t see much from where he was standing, but he could _feel_. He could feel the vulnerability, the exposure Niles was put through, and it stung. Leo gritted his teeth as he watched his retainer-to-be undergo his father’s scrutinizing stare. Every second felt like hours.

“Hm.” Was all King Garon had to say. He turned and retook his seat, holding the discarded eye-patch in his large fist. Niles stayed where he was, knees to the marble floor, head lowered. Leo’s chest felt tight.

“Very well.” The King then said. Leo exhaled with relief, and he would’ve slumped too, but he still felt far too tense to move. He stood static like a puppet without a purpose, and it wasn’t until Niles was allowed to rise, until he placed his hand on Leo’s shoulder, that life flowed back into his body, and the strings attached to his limbs snapped. Leo couldn’t bring himself to face him, not wanting to humiliate him even further, and thus kept his eyes down as they left the throne room, side by side.

*

As soon as they returned, Leo requested one of the maids to fashion Niles a new eyepatch, as fast as possible. They were waiting on this order now, outside one of the craft rooms, nothing but the crackle of torches to fill the silence.

Until Leo spoke up, sounding so fragile that the sound of fire almost drowned him out entirely.

“I’m sorry,” He said, gaze cast down onto his hands. He had looked anywhere but Niles’s face, too guilty, too afraid. “I am so sorry, my father shouldn’t have-”

“Milord,” Niles said gently. “Do not waste your apologies.”

Leo clenched his jaw. The door behind them swung open, revealing a somewhat out of breath maid holding Niles’s new eyepatch in her needle-pricked hands. For once, Niles felt no desire to fluster her. He politely declined her offer to tie the patch in place, and fastened it himself.

“Now,” Niles then said, watching as the maid excused herself to return to her work. “Your eyes are safe from my disfiguration.”

Leo visibly startled.

“That’s not,” He stuttered, uncharacteristically nervous. “I am not appalled by you, nor whatever became of your right eye.” Leo sighed, some of the earlier tension seeping from his body into the floor. Niles didn’t speak.

“When you _decide_ to show me,” Leo continued quietly. “That is when I wish to see.”

Leo turned, and headed back to his quarters, his newly appointed retainer trailing silently behind him.

*

That night, Niles snuck into Leo’s room.

“Lord Leo.” Niles’s whisper shook Leo from slumber. He shot up in his bed, squinting at the light of the small candle Niles had lit.

“Niles,” He yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“I apologize for waking you at this hour, milord.” Niles said, hushed. Leo waved him off, and Niles took his place at Leo’s bedside.

(They spent nights like this more often. It kept the loneliness at bay.)

“What troubles you.” Leo asked, knowing Niles wouldn’t disturb him in the middle of the night for no reason.

“I decided to show you.” Niles said. Leo wasn’t sure what his retainer referred to at first, until he saw Niles reach back to undo the knot that held his eyepatch in place.

“Niles.” Leo felt a flash of panic.

“Do not misunderstand, my lord.” Niles said, carefully taking off the mask he wore every day. “I am most grateful for your understanding.”

“Then you realize you are not obliged to do this?” Leo mumbled. He was staring at the bed, not wanting to look up at Niles’s face.

“I do.” Niles said, and Leo could feel him smile. “I want you to see me.”

Leo’s hands grabbed at the sheets, and made fists.

“Very well.” He said quietly.

He tried to gather the courage to raise his head, but Niles was there to do it for him, a gentle touch to cup his jaw, a gentle push to guide his gaze up.

Leo wasn’t really sure what he’d been expecting. He hadn’t paid the rumors any mind. Niles was Niles, no matter what he was hiding, and through the loyalty he showed in his service, Leo already learned all he had to know.

And yet, seeing Niles like this, it felt like a gap was filling between them. The candlelight did little to illuminate the scar that remained of Niles’s eye, but it was enough. More than enough.

Niles took Leo's hand, and carefully brought it up to his face. With trembling fingers, Leo ghosted his touch past Niles’s closed eyelid, feeling the hollow behind it. He could hear Niles breathing, he could feel the warmth of his skin sinking into his fingertips. Niles’s breath washed against his wrist when he exhaled, and in that very moment, Leo felt closer to him than he had to anyone, ever.

Niles chuckled, breaking the silence between them. “As you dreamed, milord?” He teased in a whisper, betraying his involvement, the emotions his face rarely showed. Leo managed a smile in return, and shook his head. He pushed the sheets down, and shifted closer, raising himself up onto his knees. Carefully, Leo drew a line down Niles’s jaw, and watched his other eye droop shut when he took his retainer’s face in both hands.

Niles shivered when Leo kissed his forehead.

“Thank you.” Leo said.

His words tickled Niles’s skin. His throat felt tight all of a sudden, and his chest felt hot. He had never felt so exposed. Never so appreciated. Never so naked, never so safe. It was an uncomfortable mix of feelings, but it was beautiful.

“My lord,” Niles breathed, feeling pleasant sparks chase each of Leo’s tender touches as they traveled down to the sides of his neck. Leo’s lips felt soft as they kissed his temple, his cheekbone, the bridge of his nose. “My _liege_..”

“My name, Niles.” Leo whispered. Leaning carefully, Niles reached out to extinguish the sole candle in the room. Night wrapped around them, unobstructed, hiding the slide of Leo’s body into Niles’s lap, and the way their lips brushed together when Leo spoke against Niles’s mouth.

“Call me by my name.”

_-fin_

**Author's Note:**

> [♫](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cood1ZBDTkk)
> 
> I ended up a bit emotionally invested in this one.
> 
> (Currently catching up on requests, so I won't take new ones for a while.)


End file.
